You're All Right, Van Pelt
by TwistedGreekNerd
Summary: Who needs piano when you have such great friends?


**I wish I knew Charles Schulz, the brilliant creator of Peanuts. Even though I don't own anything, I want to dedicate this story to anyone who plays an instrument… and would love to get their hands on whoever wrote the music. Enjoy!**

You're All Right, Van Pelt

As his left hand continued the motif, Schroeder's right hand flipped to the eighth page of his piece. But after staring so long at notes they swam before his eyes. Instead of climbing up to middle C with his left hand and reach for the high A, he started the same way page three began.

"AARRRGGHH!" was his cry when realized that he had already played the chords found on page four. He felt so frustrated that he wanted to lunge forward and grab the piece, rip it to shreds, and scatter them in the breeze. But he didn't. Why? Because Schroeder is Schroeder, and Schroeder had invited a very impressive audience to a concert that Friday in hopes of impressing them with a piece far above his level.

He had already gotten his father to book the high school auditorium, and his mother was busy preparing eclairs for the guests afterwards. Everything was coming along perfectly… except his memorization of the piece. It seemed that the composer was laughing at Schroeder from his grave, and Schroeder was not one to be laughed at by a dead guy who takes pleasure it driving young people insane. He would learn this piece if he had to arrive at his concert in the form of a ghost.

Out of habit, he glanced at the door, but it remained closed. His mother had stopped coming in to check on him after his fourteenth "AARRRGGHH!" A bit grumpily, he flipped back to the first page. He could hear Madam Estelle, a retired music teacher from across the street, telling him (**A/N blah, bla-blah, blah… kidding) **he should practice one more time hands apart. But Schroeder was too gifted at the keys to do the simple practicing that someone of average talent had to do. Or at least he thought so.

He had barely reached the sluggish part of page two when he noticed a few black curls spilling on the edge of his piano. Schroeder slammed down on the keys, and the girl calmly sat up and looked at him.

"Heya, Schroeder, how are you?" Lucy asked brightly.

"How did you get in here?" he demanded angrily.

Lucy couldn't resist rolling her eyes, "Through the door. But, listen. Now that you're done playing, I have a surprise for you."

Now it was his turn to roll his eyes. "I'm not in the mood, Lucy."

"Which is exactly the kind of mood to receive a surprise." She got up, went to open the door, and yelled down the hall, "Okay, guys! He's ready! Let's do this!"

Schroeder's hands fell from the keys as Charlie Brown, Sally, and Linus marched in, holding balloons and singing "Happy Birthday".

"It's not my birthday," he informed them when they were done.

Linus explained to him very matter-of-factly, "As of March the third of last year, you were very much alive. Exactly one year later on March the third of this year you are still alive and have lived a full year. Therefore this qualifies for celebration." Charlie Brown handed Lucy some balloons, and Sally giggled and released hers to the ceiling.

"Oi, Marcie! That was our cue!" They heard the stage whisper from the hallway. A moment later Peppermint Patty ran in dragging a long table and Marcie (who was trying to lift the other side) behind her.

"Be careful!" Schroeder yelled, as they accidentally knocked over stuff. The others shushed him impatiently.

Following the two, were Violet and Patty proudly announcing that they had the banner (which was draped over their shoulders.) the two girls climbed over the junk in Schroeder's music room to start hanging it up. Shermy, with his forever- sullen look, began scattering streamers and confetti.

"You're making a mess!" Schroeder cried, clutching his head. Again he was shushed, but it would not subdue him. What were his friends doing making a mess in his home while he was trying to practice? He was getting ready to kick them all out, when everyone but Lucy, Charlie Brown, and Linus left.

"Listen," he tried to say calmly, "I know you all are trying to help, but I really need to focus on my music right-"

"That's why we're doing this," Charlie Brown said.

"You've haven't left this room since seven o'clock in the morning to nine o'clock at night," Linus told him.

"And you haven't left this house for three weeks," Lucy added. "I mean is this concert really that important?"

To his horror Sally, Peppermint Patty, and Marcie returned, carrying armfuls of junk food that they dumped on the table. This was getting way out of hand. He looked at Charlie Brown who was weighing down the balloons; he didn't understand why his friend was doing this. You see, Charlie, with his obsession of baseball, should've understood Schroeder's dedication to piano, but he clearly didn't. Linus was wearing that meditative look on his face that he always wore as he helped Charlie Brown. Maybe he or Sally had just gone along with it as a chance to hang out with the older kids. The irritated child genius turned to Lucy, who was ignoring him and bossing everyone else. This was obviously her own doing, and Schroeder felt almost too angry to speak; he hadn't seen Shermy, Patty, or Violet in a long time, but Lucy was definitely the only one who could convince them to come over.

It got worse. 5 came in carrying a radio set, which made Peppermint Patty shriek and rush over to him.

"I know just the song to play! Do you-" 5 shook his head shyly, and Marcie whispered in her ear. Peppermint Patty looked disappointed.

"It's almost done," Linus told Schroeder, "and then we can begin the real fun."  
>"I'm serious, Linus-" but the young boy wandered off to help set up the radio. Muttering Schroeder closed the lid on his piano, sat on the edge of it, and watched his friends.<p>

A mane of red curls peered around the door and then opened it all the way for Pigpen, wearing a dirtied red bowtie, to roll in a wagon filled with objects wrapped in bright paper.

"I hope you don't mind, but we took all the money and bought a few large presents instead of a lot of small presents," Frieda explained.

"Oh boy," Schroeder muttered with a sinking feeling. Did his friends go to all this trouble… for him? Everyone crowded Frieda and Pigpen, discreetly asking about the presents.

"COMIN' THROUGH!" a voice yelled from down the hallway, and Franklin slipped and slided into the room. Trying to keep his balance while not tipping over his frosted cake. He managed to place the desert carefully on the table; everyone, including Schroeder, applauded him.

Linus approached Schroeder and said, "Now, it's ready. Everyone?" All the kids began singing "Happy Birthday". As for the person it was directed to, he went red in the face and stared uncomfortably at his shoes.

"Speech! Speech!" Violet and Patty called when the singing was done.

Lucy, seeming very proud of herself, stepped forward into the circle of kids and began, "As we all know, Schroeder has been working very hard on the piano, so that he can perform well at his concert this Friday."

"But I think we all agree that he has been working too hard," Sally said.

"It's great to be dedicated to something," Charlie Brown amended, "But we haven't seen you in weeks. You haven't done anything else in weeks!"

"That's why was my brilliant idea," Lucy continued, "To give you a surprise party."

"Set up before your very own eyes," Pigpen called.

"Schroeder, you deserve it," said Linus.

"I think we all deserve a little fun," Frieda announced, playing with her curls, "It's been such a boring week. And like my grandfather always said, 'if you can't find anything amusing, make something amusing."

"So the point is, let's all have fun for a while. Especially you, mister." Lucy gave Schroeder a threatening look.

"Oh! And also, our special music for today is," Charlie Brown looked to his left.

Peppermint Patty looked miserable at the thought, but finished with, "Beethoven."

They all laughed heartily. "Wow, I don't know what to say, guys-" The door opened and Rerun and Snoopy ran. Woodstock glided in, wearily, a few moments later.

"Are we late? Did we miss anything?" the young boy panted.

"I was just thanking everyone, Rerun. You all are the most amazing friends anyone could have asked for. Thank you." He glanced at Peppermint Patty's bored face. "And if the radio is up for it, let's play some catchy stuff."

All the kids cheered at the prospect of not having to listen to Beethoven. Snoopy looked flirtatiously at Violet and whipped out his "Cool Joe" glasses; the party had just begun.

Most of the kids ran to get food from the table, while others adjusted a few decorations, and Peppermint Patty and Marcie pulled Charlie Brown out to the center to dance.

Before he knew it, Schroeder and Lucy were leaning on his piano, sipping sodas, and munching away.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his music piece slip from the stand and fall to the floor… but who cared? He let it stay there.

"This is fun," he commented.

"Watching Franklin waltz with Snoopy?" Lucy asked.

"No, leaning on my piano. I can see why you do it often." She smiled. He paused and then said very sincerely, "Thank you. This whole thing means a lot to me." In a bit of teasing tone, "You know, I'm sure you don't hear it a lot, but you're all right, Van Pelt."

She kept smiling serenely, "Eh, what are friends for?" they toasted and took a long gulp of soda. "Now, remember, if anyone ever says something mean about me, you have to swoop in and defend me, okay? You owe me."

"There's always a catch when it comes to girls."

"And there's always sarcasm when it comes to musicians."

"Good point. Okay, deal." They shook hands and continued watching everyone eat and dance and have fun.

And it was a very good party, indeed.


End file.
